I thought I was getting to be ok at crochet after my few days at it ut these other squares are just amazing! Reminds me that I've got a looooooong way to go yet. I've done my first crochet flower now though which I think came out well.

I know what chains, singles, doubles and triples are, and I know what slip stitch is when it's joining two ends together but not what it is otherwise! I've managed to do quite a nice flower [proud] and a granny square but that's about it. The straight crocheting isn't going great so I might be back to knitting for 3girlies' squares.

Ok due to iPad not allowing photo uploads here are my squares for expat and giraffe. And here is my first granny square attempt. I think it came out ok seeing as though the pattern kept telling me to do some slip stitches at the end of every round which I just ignored because I didn't know what they were!

And so now I don't get why I would slip stitch at the end of a round? The last cluster of dcs isn't at a corner which is where the pattern seemed to want me to start the next round so somehow I think they were supposed to get me back to the corner but I didn't get it so I just turned the work and began my next round going the opposite way in the middle of a side. Probably not at all how it should be done but it seemd to work so I stuck with it!

Oh, moment of possible clarity... Is a slip stitch just a chain? I can't picture it in my head. I know what you want me to do from your description perfectly, but can't imagine a chain ow without actually doing it. I think a slip stitch has an extra 'wrap' of the yarn compared to a chain. This is why. Need one to one! I need someone to ask these questions to who can actually show me what they mean and what to do. I think I must be a visual learner.

I'm Manchester way, there didn't seem to be anyone in my direction on the blanket meet up thread

I'm getting there but by bit in my understanding. I'm enjoying trying out pretty little things having abandoned straight crochet for now (boring and unsuccessful). Here is my latest, the little star that Pistey linked to somewhere. It took a few attempts to figure out what the pattern meant at the corners and I'm not convinced I've done it exactly right but I made it look quite like the picture so I'm pleased.

We came up with a better star pattern over coffee yesterday. Here's the MNStar...

Ch4 sl st to join10dc in ring, sl st to join#Ch3, sk next st, dc in next st# 5 times #Dc, tc, extc, tc, dc in loop, dc in st# 5 times#Dc in next 2 sts (up the hill), picot in extc, dc in next 2 sts (down the hill) sl st in next st (bottom of the Valley)# 5 timesFinish off and sew in pesky ends